RIFLE RANGE BOY

Whilst everybody is arguing about the political correctness of spreading the spirit of the festivities and whether Winterval should replace Christmas, and on the other spectrum, whether X’mas is a religious celebration at all, people forget the message behind any celebration. It does not matter if it is a pagan festival. The spirit of any get-together is the fellowship, the fun, the laughter and the strengthening of bonds of camaraderie, of family and the temporary amnesia of the accumulating thoughts of uncertainties of the future.  As the arms of our family tentacles spread wide to explore greener pastures and in the advancement of careers, the number of remaining members slowly dwindles. If previously, greetings were expressed with bear hugs, exchange of presents and boisterous meetings packed with roars of laughter and trays of food, now we have to content ourselves with digital cards, heart signs and virtual kiss emojis. Messages after messages impressing and outdoi...

I remember long ago when Penang was still very colonial in its outlook. Celebrations which were considered Western in nature were still much in vogue as late as late 60s and early 70s - street celebratory parades, chingay, flower arrangements, processions with local beauties and firework display during New Year. Appa has taken the whole family for such celebrations many times when I was a kid, before RRF days and life was happy. I vividly remember watching the fire works from the streets along Duke Streets back in 1970. Of course, as in our dreams, memories of fireworks are in monochromatic hues. I do not remember any other colour appearing in that pitch black sky except for white but in various shapes and patterns. After the show, the crowd, all watching from the streets slowly sauntered towards the bus stop to head home. Some, obviously dissatisfied with wasting the night away which was just beginning, would instead start their stuporous march towards their favourite hideout...

Sand in my face, no bed of roses, no stroll in the park, no pleasure cruise... Go fly kite? Now that the general elections are imminent, all the political parties have engaged into turbo gear to bulldoze their respective opponents. I managed to catch one such political lecture recently when organizers, in the pretext of ushering in the new Tamil year thought they should rather usher in a new dawn by inviting candidates from the formerly opposition camp to ventilate their views and promises for the upcoming elections. Even though the function was a predominantly Tamil event with Tamil issues on the limelight and Tamil language was used by the master of ceremony, the mixed crowd had no issue staying till the end. Certain leaders from a overtly religious based political party had no qualms in partaking and wishing the organizers well wishes. Are we becoming more tolerant or is it a ploy? As expected, corruption and wastage issues was the mainstay of the series of lectures. One part...

With the year-end malaise and festive mood, not to mention the sinful over-indulgence and the mounting of unnecessary calories and pound, the desire in partaking in the Newton 25km Challenge started waning as the days got nearer. With many casualties as well as other pressing commitments in the rest of the members of the running gang, I became the lone, lonely lifeless representative. The thought of scaling the slow gruelling ascends of Puncak Bukit Jalil just send shivers down the spine. It ain't no bed of roses and no pleasure cruise! The wild west adage kept ringing in my ears, "a man got to do what a man got to do!" "For what?" asked my horned red-eyed inner demon friend. "For the glory of motherland or bragging rights as you smoast on the social media?". The tussle continued with my haloed friend retorting, "For health, to ensure smooth laminar flow of blood in your vessels, for strengthening the inner fighting spirit of the soul, to s...

After the PR disaster of handling of Copernicus and Galileo Galleili's assertion of the law of nature, the Vatican wised up. The new Pope invested their new earned contributions from the masses into books, library and scientific research. One of the new investment was a sundial monument to observe the movement of the sun. Commission for the Reform of the Calendar (Pope Gregory XIII Presiding), Biccherna Tablet, 1582 New discoveries showed that the Church and the rest of the civilized world have been getting it all wrong. The radical minded Pope decreed that, to synchronize the season and to give leeway for the errors of the counting of the calender all this while, modern world should fast forward the year by more than 10 days. He set the New Year should start on 1st January every year from that year onwards. News spread like wildfire across the European continent. Their transatlantic cousins who never really fancied the Vatican control (and in absence of global news...

14.4.2010 Too late for Happy New Year?* And a happy new year... But 2010 started 4 months ago! The Gregorian calendar, yes, but for many cultures and civilizations it starts in mid April. For the Zoroastrians and those of the Bahai faith, it starts on the March equinox. The Telugus commence the New Year a month after this date as well. The Christian Churches decided long ago that the single most important event in their religion (i.e. The Resurrection) will be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the March equinox as Easter Sunday depending whether the church follows the Gregorian or Julian calendar. The Malayalees, Sindhis and Sikhs celebrate their respective New Years (Vishu, Cheti Chand and Vaisakhi) around now. Not to forget the Red Shirts in Thailand who called it truce to honour their Songkhran and at least the Singalese and Jaffnese celebrate something together on the same day. The Laotians, Cambodians, Myanmarese and the Dais of Yunnan cele...

2.1.10 So yet another new year creeps in. The second decade into the twenty first century has started... New Year, New Resolutions... No, sir! Not for me. My resolution is not to make resolutions any more in any more years to come which itself is a resolution which I resolve not to resolute! The first lesson to learn in life is that there is no substitute to hard work and the confidence that you are doing to right thing and that you can and will succeed. There was an occasion when Prophet Muhamad was running from his attackers when the Prophet's army was overpowered. When the people saw him running, they were suprised. ' "How come we are running away from our enemies when we are the God's army?', they asked. To this He replied, "Run, for God is also running with us!". Lesson to learn from this snnipet is that belief is important, it will us the encouragement and the conviction for us to endeavour for the best. Procrastination will not lead to anywhere ...